Summer has arrived! Now that my kids are getting bigger, we are playing a lot more with games. All kinds, from the classics to card games, board games, electronic games, etc. I have to admit my favorites are still the ones that I grew up with. Backgammon is one of my absolute favorites—it always brings back memories of playing it in during summertime when I was young.

I used to play everywhere, especially after long days at the beach with my brothers, parents, and cousins. I wanted to introduce the game to my kids and share my memories. On top of that, it’s tons of fun!

The good thing about backgammon is that you can make a set out of just about anything. The playing surface can be a piece of cardboard or a plywood board. I chose to use a wine box lid. I drew some triangles, and then colored them in with paint. The dice can be made out of old wooden blocks, and the tokens can be made using whatever craft wood shapes you happen to have on hand. That’s all there is to it!

• Rectangular board (plywood or sturdy cardboard recommended)
• Paint (two colors) and paint brushes
• Ruler
• Pen
• 4 wooden blocks for the dice
• 30 wooden craft pieces (rectangles, stars, circles, etc., you can find these at any craft store), 15 for each player
• Masking tape

1. Draw the first rectangle 1/2-inch from the edge of your board. At the center of that rectangle, draw two lines down the length of the board 1 inch apart.
2. You should now have the following (in order, across the board): one large narrow rectangle and a second larger one the same length (use the picture as a guide). Now draw a guideline across the center of the board, crossing the rectangles.
3. At the top and bottom of each large rectangle, draw six triangles. Keep the tips around 1 inch from the guideline that you drew in the previous step.
4. Time for the paint! Pick two colors. Start with the first and then alternate the colors. TIP: Before painting, tape along the edges of the triangles of one color with masking tape. This will avoid runs and keep your triangles clean. When the paint is dry, peel off the tape and start on the second color.
5. Don’t forget to paint the dice and tokens! You will need 2 dice for each player (four total) and 15 tokens for each player (30 total).
6. Let it dry and you are ready to play!

Happy crafting :)